List of special reconnaissance units explained

The following list of organizations possess the capability to conduct special reconnaissance (SR) and other special operations roles, with SR often by specialists within them. Certain organizations are tasked for response involving areas contaminated by chemicals, biological agents, or radioactivity.

Current

Albania

• Special Operations Battalion (Albania) (BOS)

Algeria

• Groupe d'Intervention Spécial (GIS)

Australia

• Special Air Service Regiment (SASR)

• 2nd Commando Regiment (2CDO)

Brazil

• Special Operations Command (Comando de Operações Especiais)

• Marine Special Operations Battalion (Batalhão de Operações Especiais de Fuzileiros Navais, Batalhão Tonelero)

Bulgaria

• 68th Special Forces Brigade

Canada

• Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), the Canadian Forces’ special operations and counter-terrorism unit

• Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR)

China (People’s Republic of China)

• People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces

• • Guangzhou Military Region Special Forces Unit - Established in 1988 as the PLA’s first special reconnaissance group, and was later expanded in 2000 to become the first PLA special operations unit to be capable of air, sea, and land operations.

• • Chengdu Military Region Special Forces Unit – Nickname “Falcon”. Established in 1992, this unit is specialised in target locating and indicating, airborne insertion, sabotage and offensive strike, and emergency evacuation. The unit was also used by Chengdu MR to experiment with various new concept equipment and tactics, including the digitised army soldier system and high-mobility land weapon platforms.

• • Beijing Military Region Special Forces Unit - Established in the early 1990s, this unit is equipped with various “high-tech” equipment including unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle (UARV), individual explosion device, handheld laser dazzling weapon, etc.

• • Shenyang Military Region Special Forces Unit

• • Nanjing Military Region Special Forces Unit - Nickname “Flying Dragon”

• • Nanjing Military Region Special Forces Unit - Nickname “Eagle”

• • Lanzhou Military Region Special Forces Unit

Czech Republic

• 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion of General Karel Palecek

• 601st Special Forces Group

Denmark

• Jægerkorpset (Danish Army)

• Frømandskorpset (Royal Danish Navy)

• Special Support and Reconnaissance Company (Danish Home Guard)

Finland

• Special Operations Detachment (SOD)

France

• 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (1er RPIMa)

• 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (3e RPIMa)

• 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP)

• 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment (13e RDP)

• Air Parachute Commando No. 10 (CPA 10)

• Commando de Montfort

• Commando de Penfentenyo

India

• Special Frontier Force

• MARCOS

• Para Commandos (India)

• Garud Commando Force

Indonesia

• Kopassus

• Combat Reconnaissance Platoon (Ton Taipur)

• Taifib

• Kopaska

Ireland

• Army Ranger Wing (ARW)

• Directorate of Military Intelligence

Israel

• Alpinist Unit

• Maglan

• Sayeret Matkal

• Shayetet 13

• Shaldag Unit

• Yahalom

Italy

• 4th Alpini Paratroopers Regiment (4th APR)

• 17th Raiders Wing (17th RW)

• 185th Paratroopers Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment "Folgore"

• COMSUBIN

Netherlands

• 11 Brigade Recconnaissance Squadron

• Korps Commandotroepen (KCT)

• MARSOF

New Zealand

• New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS)

Norway

• Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK)

• Kystjegerkommandoen (KJK)

• Marinejegerkommandoen (MJK)

Philippines

• Light Reaction Regiment
• Special Operations Command
• 1st Scout Ranger Regiment
  • Naval Special Operations Command Marine Special Operations Group
• Special Forces Regiment (Philippines)

Poland

• Jednostka Wojskowa Grom

• Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów

• Jednostka Wojskowa Formoza

• Jednostka Wojskowa Agat

• Jednostka Wojskowa Nil

Portugal

• Air-Land Pathfinders Company (Precs)

• Destacamento de Ações Especiais (DAE)

• Special Operations Troops Centre (CTOE)

Russia

• Spetsnaz

• Federal Security Service "FSB"

• • Alpha Group Directorate "A" of the FSB Special Purpose Center (TsSN FSB) is an elite, stand-alone sub-unit of Russia's special forces.

• • Vympel Group Directorate "B" Vympel Group is an elite Russian spetsnaz unit under the command of the FSB. (TsSN FSB)

• Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

• • Spetsnaz GRU 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 14th, 16th, 24th, and 25th Spetsnaz Brigade (obrSpN)

• • 45th Detached Reconnaissance Regiment Spetsnaz VDV (orpSpN)

• • Russian commando frogmen 42nd, 420th, 431st, and 561st Naval Reconnaissance Spetsnaz Point (omrpSpN)

• • Voennaya Razvedka "Military intelligence" personnel/units within larger formations in ground troops, airborne troops and marines. Intelligence battalion in the divisions, reconnaissance company in the brigade, a reconnaissance platoon in the regiment. The same level of training as Spetsnaz GRU but not controlled by the GRU. A bat is their mascot.

Sri Lanka

• Commando Regiment (CR)

• Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP)

• Regiment Special Force (RSF)

• Special Boat Squadron (SBS)

• Special Forces Regiment (SF)

Sweden

• Fallskärmsjägarna

• Flygbasjägarna

• Kustjägarna

• Särskilda operationsgruppen

Thailand

• Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company

• RTMC Reconnaissance Battalion

• RTN SEALs

• Special Operations Regiment

Ukraine

• 3rd Separate Special Forces Regiment

• 140th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion

United Kingdom

• Special Air Service^[1]

• Special Boat Service

• Special Reconnaissance Regiment

• Pathfinder Platoon of 16 Air Assault Brigade

• Brigade Reconnaissance Force, 3 Commando Brigade

• 148 (Meiktila) Battery Royal Artillery

United States

• 75th Ranger Regiment

• • 75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC)

• Long-range surveillance (LRS) units

• United States Army Special Forces (Green Berets) ^[2]

• United States Army SOT-A (Special Operations Team-Alpha)^[3]

• 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force or Combat Applications Group)^[4]

• Intelligence Support Activity^[5]

• United States Navy SEALs

• United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) ^[6]

• Air Force Special Tactics Combat Controllers^[7]

• Air Force Special Reconnaissance (SR) ^[8]

• Marine Raiders^[9]

• United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance

• United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions^[10]

Historical

Nazi Germany

• Brandenburger Regiment

United Kingdom

• Special Operations Executive more a direct action organization, but conducted some reconnaissance. Espionage was under the continuing Secret Intelligence Service

United States

• Office of Strategic Services

• 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion

Australia

• Services Reconnaissance Department

• Combined Field Intelligence Service (Coastwatchers)

• Allied Intelligence Bureau

Notes and References

1. Web site: Operational Surveillance and Reconnaissance Battalion . 2024-06-13 . Army University Press . en-US.
2. Web site: Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance is Greater Than Aerial Surveillance Small Wars Journal . 2024-06-13 . smallwarsjournal.com . en.
3. Web site: FM 34-36 Chptr 4 - Int &Elct Wfare Supp to Spcl Frcs Grp (Abrne) . 2024-06-13 . irp.fas.org.
4. Web site: Delta Force Operations, Training, & Black Hawk Down Incident Britannica . 2024-06-13 . www.britannica.com . en.
5. Book: Naylor, Sean . Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command . 2015 . St. Martin's Press . 978-1-250-01454-2 . First . New York.
6. Web site: The most elite special operations forces in the US . 2024-06-13 . Asymmetric Warfare Group . en-US.
7. Web site: CCT . 2024-06-13 . www.airforcespecialtactics.af.mil.
8. Web site: Special Reconnaissance . 2024-06-13 . Air Force . en-US.
9. Web site: Allwood . Greg . 2022-01-10 . US Special Forces – who they are and what they do . 2024-06-13 . www.forces.net . en.
10. https://www.tecom.marines.mil/Portals/127/Docs/AITB/BASIC%20RECONNAISSANCE%20COURSE%20PREPARATION%20GUIDE.pdf